On World Telecommunication Day, UN hails role of IT in sustainable development

Charlotte Kesl/World Bank

Students at San Jose Secondary School, a rural school in in La Ceja, Antioquía, Colombia.

17 May 2016

The global sustainable development agenda recognizes the great potential of information and communication technology to accelerate human progress, bridge the digital divide and advance knowledge, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, marking World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Urging governments, businesses and civil society leaders to develop new technologies that have a lasting social impact in his message for the

Day, the UN chief highlighted that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals specifically call for employing information and communication technology (ICT) to realize the overall vision of a life of dignity for all people.

Celebrated each year on 17 May, the Day marks the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 which led to the creation of the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The theme for this year is “ICT entrepreneurship for social impact.”

In his message, Mr. Ban highlighted that start-ups and technology hubs in the ICT sector are the drivers of innovative and practical solutions that can contribute to inclusive growth. Small to medium-sized enterprises make up more than 90 per cent of all businesses worldwide, and represent a path out of poverty for many developing countries.

Noting that young people are especially fluent in the use of ICTs, the Secretary-General said that leaders should invest in young innovators, who are part of the largest generation of youth in history.

“Through a combination of forward-looking government policies and regulatory reforms, international standards, industry innovation and investment in infrastructure, and new services, billions of people have been brought into the information society in a remarkably short period of time. This is a shared achievement for which we can all be proud,” he said.

Mr. Zhao noted that building on this foundation, the world is now in an increasingly smart, networked environment encompassing cloud computing, big data, and new applications in diverse areas from health to finance, while moving towards a future of smart transport systems and cities.

He stressed that as the roll-out of infrastructure and connectivity is advanced, the role of services and applications will grow, along with the potential for many innovative smaller players to enter the market with solutions to address local needs.

“ICT entrepreneurship is set to bring about a paradigm shift in making significant social impact. We need their expertise, innovation and investment to achieve our common goals of sustainable economic and social development,” he said.

Specifically, he called on governments and industry, academia and technical experts to promote the role of small, young and innovative firms in the ICT sector; encourage the spread of digital social innovation; prioritize economic policies that promote innovation; ensure the availability of necessary human capacity; support the establishment of comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystems; as well as assist entrepreneurs in moving from idea and innovation to sales and revenue.

“Let us put our resources together to harness the catalytic role of ICTs in achieving sustainable development and delivering on economic growth, social inclusion and environmental balance,” Mr. Zhao concluded.

News Tracker: Past Stories on This Issue

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the power to help people around the world bridge the digital divide and accelerate innovation as world leaders continue to work towards implementing the United Nations development agenda, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined today at the opening of a high-level forum of the ICT for development community.